Backlash to gender equality is growing – but there is hope

Progress for the rights of women and girls around the world is slow.

At our current pace – and if global commitments are adhered to – a girl born today will be nearly 40 years old before women hold as many seats in parliament as men. 

She will be 68 before child marriage is eradicated. She will never live to see the end of extreme poverty for women and girls — a goal that, at this rate, will take another 137 years to achieve. 

What’s more, the backlash against gender equality is growing, with rising resistance and deepening political, social, and cultural challenges that threaten to undo hard-won progress.

However, amidst this context, there is a palpable sense of optimism.

At the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City last week, heads of state, business leaders, activists, and advocacy groups gathered for what I like to call the gender equality equivalent of COP, the annual summit on climate change. 

Ours is a global meeting on gender equality, and as  Executive Director of UN Women UK, a charity working to ensure that every woman and girl has access to safety, choice and a voice, I’ve had the privilege of a front row seat to discussions shaping the future of gender equality. It’s been both sobering and energising, as well as a powerful reminder that gender equality is in a fragile state. 

Every speech, every solution presented, and every alliance formed carries a spark of hope. 

On the opening day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, issued a stark call to action saying that ‘we still live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture. And power is never given, it must be taken. Together, we must seize it.’

At the end of the day, as gender equality is given its rightful place on the world stage, there is no question that while the path ahead is difficult, the momentum for meaningful change is undeniable.

This year’s CSW is particularly poignant as it marks 30 years since world leaders committed to a landmark document called the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which remains one of the most comprehensive and forward-thinking frameworks for advancing gender equality.

It covers 12 critical areas of concern, including poverty, education, health, violence against women, armed conflict, economy, decision-making, institutional mechanisms, human rights, media, environment, and the girl child.

Now, in 2025, our global vision for securing the rights of women and girls is at risk of slipping through our fingers. But – if CSW is anything to go by – there is light at the end of the tunnel.

One of the key highlights of the event was a renewed commitment to gender equality. During the opening ceremony, member states of the UN – including the UK – agreed to move beyond promises and take decisive action to ensure rights, equality and empowerment for all women and girls to recognise the need for an intersectional approach 

This includes being involved in all aspects of peace processes, including peacekeeping and conflict prevention; investing in education, particularly STEM; and closing the gender gap in AI.

To do this, we must lift women out of poverty. The latest research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on poverty in the UK found that 6 million people in the UK are living in very deep poverty, defined as living on less than 40% of the median income.

We know that poverty disproportionately affects women, who are often paid less than men and who are far more likely to be single parents and therefore at a higher risk of living in poverty.  

Eradicating this requires a multi-pronged strategy that must include investment in education, but also a commitment by industry and business to close the gender gap. Equal pay for equal work is fundamental and stronger enforcement of equal pay laws and greater transparency in pay structures is vital.

Alongside this, CSW emphasised the importance of revolutionising care in the UK, which must be viewed as an investment, not a cost.

UN Women UK research found that one in four working mothers are being forced to quit work due to lack of suitable childcare options, while 26% of mums have unwillingly reduced their hours. The UK must expand access to affordable childcare, while also providing paid family leave to ensure that families can access the support they need.  

And lastly, we must end gender-based violence. In the UK, a woman is killed by a man every three days on average.

Violence against women and girls is an epidemic so serious the National Police Chiefs’ Council has declared it a ‘national emergency’. We must prioritise prevention and education – implementing public awareness campaigns and educational programmes, as well as encouraging bystander interventions and supporting survivor-centered services.

These are big and daunting topic areas, but I am encouraged and motivated by the resilience and unity of women around the world. We are pushing back – not just for the preservation of progress, but for the further dismantling of systemic inequalities.

I have a fire in my belly hearing from women around the world driving real change. 

We must choose action over apathy. Hope over despair. Because gender equality is the way forward – not just for women, not just for girls, but for the future of humanity. 

Let’s continue to push boundaries, elevate the voices of our marginalised sisters, and turn promises into action.  

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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